May 21, 2023
How to turn your insights into a framework
By Wes Kao
Co-founder of Maven
Summary
Follow a step-by-step guide on turning your unique ideas into powerful frameworks that make it easier to recall information, structure abstract ideas, and share your knowledge effectively.
Your insights are your intellectual property. But too few experts turn the knowledge in their head into a framework they can reuse–and even sell.
Frameworks are insights packaged into a memorable visual or term. Think: SMART goals, SWOT, Maslow's hierarchy of needs, or spiky point of view (one of mine).
Frameworks make it easier to:
- Recall information
- Give structure to abstract ideas
- Share your knowledge with others
A framework is intellectual property that you as an expert can build products around. James Clear’s Atomic Habits framework launched a popular newsletter, book, course, and numerous speaking engagements. Annie Duke’s "resulting" concept led to a best-selling book, corporate coaching, and a top course on Maven.
By the way, turning your insights into frameworks is one of the most popular lessons I teach in the Maven Course Accelerator. Using our step-by-step approach, instructors can sketch their own framework in 6 minutes. Many turn them into the foundations of a new course. Enroll here (it’s free).
Here’s how to turn your ideas into frameworks (it’s easier than you think):
1. Pick a problem people often ask you about
Ask yourself:
• What questions do people ask you all the time?
• What is a problem you solved for yourself?
• What areas are you most credible and experienced in?
2. Think about your system or approach to solving this problem
The solution should be rooted in your personal experience and insight. Brain dump all the steps you took to solve the problem. Your process might be non-linear, but try to empathize with someone who’s hearing your idea for the first time. Try to make the non-linear a bit more sequential, so others can follow along.
3. Play with different visualizations
For example, here are common categories of frameworks:
- Steps (Sales funnel)
- Venn diagram (Ikigai)
- Hub and spoke (in logistics)
- Matrix (SWOT, Eisenhower Matrix)
- Flywheel (Nir Eyal’s Hooked Model)
- Canvas (Course Mechanics Canvas)
- Acronyms (SMART, BATNA, SUCCES)
- Pyramid (Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs)
- Triangle (Project Management Triangle)
- Hierarchy (Minto framework, decision trees)
- Concentric circles (Concentric Circles of Customers)
- Graphs & curves (Crossing the Chasm, J-Curve of Habit)
4. Acknowledge when you’re borrowing from others and give credit
Very few ideas are actually original. New insights are often remixed and derived from the work of others.
Product Market Fit has spawned Creator-Market Fit, Course-Market Fit and many other X-Market-Fit frameworks. Even James Clear acknowledges Charles Duhigg’s habit loop for inspiring Atomic Habits.
So, when you’re inspired by others:
✅ Give credit when you’re borrowing
✅ Transform an existing idea and apply it in a different way
✅ Borrow from multiple sources
🚫 Don’t just rename an existing framework and claim it as yours
As a next step, turn the advice you find yourself giving all the time into a reusable framework. Even better, start teaching your framework to others.
PS I wasn’t exaggerating when I said you can create a framework in 6 minutes. Here’s a photo of our instructors shipping their frameworks in the Maven Course Accelerator.
When you start earning on Maven, you keep 90% of your course revenue minus Stripe fees. On average, instructors earn $20,000 in their first cohort. Plus, you own your IP and content. Our goal is to help you launch and grow a course you’re proud of.
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